''Tetramorium bicarinatum'', is a species of ant of the family
Formicidae in the order
Hymenoptera
Hymenoptera is a large order (biology), order of insects, comprising the sawfly, sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants. Over 150,000 living species of Hymenoptera have been described, in addition to over 2,000 extinct ones. Many of the species are Par ...
that originated in South East Asia.
Morphology
It is a reddish headed medium-sized ant, with
mesosoma and waist contrasting with a dark
gaster.
Habitat
The species can adversely affect native
biodiversity.
[ It is also said to be a common tramp species which is usually found inside of houses, in ]greenhouses
A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse, or, if with sufficient heating, a hothouse) is a structure with walls and roof made chiefly of transparent material, such as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic conditions are grown.These s ...
and shade houses, or in landscaped areas near houses.
Venom
The ''Tetramorium bicarinatums venom arrangement shows potential for a new pharmacologically
Pharmacology is a branch of medicine, biology and pharmaceutical sciences concerned with drug or medication action, where a drug may be defined as any artificial, natural, or endogenous (from within the body) molecule which exerts a biochemica ...
active substance, bicarinalin. This antibacterial, antimicrobial, and anti-infective compound could potentially be chemically synthesized to combat antibiotic-resistant pathogens by means of drug therapy.
References
Further reading
*Wetterer, James K. "Worldwide spread of the penny ant, Tetramorium bicarinatum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Sociobiology 54.3 (2009): 811–830.
*Astruc, Cyril, Christian Malosse, and Christine Errard. "Lack of intraspecific aggression in the ant Tetramorium bicarinatum: a chemical hypothesis." Journal of Chemical Ecology 27.6 (2001): 1229–1248.
*de Biseau, J. C., et al. "Respective contributions of leader and trail during recruitment to food inTetramorium bicarinatum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Insectes sociaux 41.3 (1994): 241–254.
External links
*
bicarinatum
Insects described in 1846
Taxa named by William Nylander (botanist)
{{myrmicinae-stub
Hymenoptera of New Zealand
Ants of New Zealand